Multiple cosmetic stick container



March 11, 1969 M. N. NEUMANN ETAL. 3,431,918

MULTIPLE COSMETIC STICK CONTAINER Filed June 30, 1965 INVENTORS' META N. NEUMAN N CHARLES W. NEUMANN ATTOR NEYS United States Patent Office 3,431,918 Patented Mar. 11, 1969 3 431 918 MULTIPLE COSMETIC STICK CONTAINER Meta N. Neumann and Charles W. Neumann, both of llfimsedgwick Road, West Hartford, Conn.

Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. N0. 468,453 US. Cl. 13279 3 Claims Int. Cl. A45d 40/00, 40/20 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The device of this invention comprises a lipstick container having a case of generally oval cross section diametrically split into two case halves. A rotor is removably mounted on one of the case halves. The rotor carries at least two cosmetic sticks and at least one resilient radial tab engageable with detent means on said one of the case halves for retaining the rotor and the cosmetic sticks in a preselected position when the other of the case halves is removed.

This invention generally relates to cosmetic sticks and the like and particularly concerns containers of the type accommodating a plurality of such cosmetic sticks such that they may be selectively positioned when in use and protectively housed when they are not in use.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved container for a plurality of cosmetic sticks, such as lipstick, of varying consistencies, colors or shades in accordance with the users personal taste and needs for different occasions. Included in this object is the aim of providing a small, compact container of attractive appearance for quickly and conveniently positioning a desired cosmetic stick for use and protectively housing the different types of stick material when they are not being used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved multiple cosmetic stick container that is particularly suited to be refilled when the cosmetic sticks have been worn away.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved container of the type referred to, having a simplified yet durable construction that is economical to manufacture and easy to use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a container of the present invention illustrating a pair of case halves in assembled relation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view, partl broken away, of the container with one case half partly removed;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the container of FIG. 2 with one case half completely removed;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2 showing the case halves in assembled relation;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of a rotor incorporated in the container of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing the case halves in assembled relation.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a preferred embodiment of the container of the present invention is illustrated as having a generally circular case 10 of oval cross section preferably having resilient walls formed of a suitable durable material such as metal or plastic providing a. hollow enclosure for cosmetic masses such as lipsticks and the like. The case 10 is diametrically split into a pair of releasably attachable hollow case halves 12 and 14 for protectively housing a pair of cosmetic sticks 16 and 18.

To hold and selectively position the sticks 16, 18, a rotor 20 preferably formed of a suitable metal or plastic material is centrally mounted in the case 10 with the case half 12 exclusively providing rotational bearing support for the rotor 20. The latter is detachably mounted in any known manner to the case half 12. In the specific illustrated embodiment, the rotor 20 includes top and bottom surfaces 22 and 24 from which a pair of central bosses or hubs 26 and 28 project in alignment with the rotational axis of the rotor 20.

The hubs have a fiat bottomed central recess 30 of conical cross section (FIG. 6) to provide good seats for mating detents 32 depressed in the top and bottom surfaces of case half 12, the detents 32 respectively being directed inwardly to a center disk 34 engageable with the flat bottom of its respective recess 30 so that the walls of the case half 12 will secure the rotor 20 and at the same time mount it for rotation.

To assure easy assembly and disassembly of the case 10, the case half 14 is provided with depressed detents 36 that are more shallow then those described in connection with case half 12 so as to engage the central disks 34 in overlying relation when the case is assembled. Opposite sides of the hubs 26, 28 preferably have chamfered edges as indicated at 38 so that the detents 36 of case half 14 may be easily cammed over the rotor 20 and positioned in the recesses 30 of the hubs to provide firm snap-on attachment of the case halves.

The rotor 20 is adapted to receive the ends of the cosmetic sticks 16, 18 with the sticks coaxially aligned and projecting in opposite radial directions perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotor 20. More specifically, the main body portion of the rotor 20 is illustrated as being hollowed out and an interior dividing wall 40 separates a pair of compartments (only one shown at 42 in FIG. 5) for securing the cosmetic sticks, the compartments having open ends on opposite sides of the rotor 20 preferably facing in the same direction as the chamfered edges 38 of the hubs 26 and 28. If desired, the ends of the sticks which are received in the compartments of the rotor 20 may be provided with a cup, not shown, to facilitate the insertion and retention of the cosmetic sticks 16, 18.

So that either of the cosmetic sticks 16, 18 may project directly out of the case half 12 in position for use upon removal of case half 14 or, alternatively, be protectively housed within case half 12, the rotor 20 of the spe ific illustrated embodiment is designed to be retained relative to case half 12 in one of two positions angularly spaced apart A pair of resilient tabs 46 and 48, integrally formed on rotor 20, project outwardly in opposite radial directions perpendicular to the coaxial cosmetic sticks 16, 18 and terminate adjacent opposite lateral extremes of the exposed diametrical edge 49 of case half 12. Indentations 50 and 52 are formed on opposite sides of case half 12 to provide inwardly extending detents or ribs 54 and 56 protruding into the confines of the case half 12 at the extreme left and right sides, as viewed in FIG. 2, adjacent its exposed diametrical edge 49.

To firmly hold rotor 20 against rotation when 21 cosmetic stick is being used and still permit the rotor to be rotated into and out of a held position relative to case half 12, the opening between ribs 54 and 56 is slightly less than the distance between opposite ends of the tabs 46, 48 and the right rib 56 is illustrated as being spaced inwardly a slightly greater distance from the edge 49 of the case half 12 than is the left rib 54, whereby the tabs are firmly secured against unintended movement by the outer faces of the ribs during the use of a cosmetic stick.

Thus resilient tabs 46 and 48 act as means for rotating the rotor, and seats 60 and 62 thereon coact with detents 54 and 56 to act as positioning means for positioning the rotor in the position shown in FIGURE 2, or in a second position 180 degrees from the FIGURE 2 position. Regardless of whether the rotor 20 is positioned as shown in FIG. 2 or in its opposite held position with tabs 46 and 48 reversed, any play between the right rib 56 and the tabs is desirably eliminated by seats 60 and 62 built up respectively on the outer and inner faces of tabs 46 and 48 as viewed in the drawing.

While it is believed that the use of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing description, the following brief explanation may be helpful in fully understanding the invention. Case halves 12 and 14 are normally attached in an engaged position when the cosmetic sticks 16, 18 are not in use. When it is desired to expose one of the sticks, the case 'halves 12, 14 are merely pulled apart and one of the sticks is automatically positioned for use. If desired, finger grips, such as at 64, may be provided on the case halves to facilitate their removal and attachment. When the concealed stick 16 within case half 12 is to be used, the rotor 20 is simply rotated by manipulation of the tabs 46 and 48. The resilient tab 46 is flexed inwardly with suflicient force to permit its end to pass over the rib 54. The rotor 20, and therefore the cosmetic sticks 16, 18, move 180 in a clockwise direction and are firmly secured when the seat 60 of tab 46 passes over rib 56. The cosmetic stick 16 is then accessible for use, and the formerly exposed stick 18 is neatly housed within case half 12. After use, the mating case halves are simply snapped back into engagement to protect the sticks for the next application.

When the cosmetic sticks are worn away through repeated use, the entire rotor and Whatever remains of the sticks may be removed as a unit from the case by removing case half 14 and pressing the opposite sides of case half 12 together to release its grip on the ends of the rotor. By virtue of the desired structure, the rotor is economically made of inexpensive material and may be discarded after use. This is particularly desirable since the natural shape of case is decorative and may be formed of quality material. The case may then be refilled for dilferent occasions or whenever desired by the replacement of another rotor containing new sticks, thereby to eliminate any need for the user to dig out the greasy remains of the unused sticks before inserting new ones or having to otherwise 'handle the sticks for any reason.

Finally, the present invention provides a lightweight, compact container giving the user a choice of cosmetic shades, for example, which may be identified on the outside of the case by color indicators such as at 66. In addition to presenting an aesthetically pleasing case, the present invention provides an easily refillable multiple stick container which is convenient to handle and is of notable utility.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above-described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A container for cosmetic stick material and the like comprising a hollow case having a rotor support section and a removable section detachably mounted thereon, a rotor supported for rotation on the rotor support section of the case, the rotor support section having rotor retaining detent means, the rotor having seats for holding a plurality of cosmetic sticks in a radially projecting arrangement relative to the rotor, positioning means carried by the rotor for rotating the rotor relative to the rotor support section to displace the cosmetic sticks angularly of the case, the positioning means detachably engaging the detent means for releasably securing the rotor against angular displacement with a selected one of the cosmetic sticks exposed for use when the removable section of the case is removed.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the rotor is detachably mounted in the case to facilitate the replacement of the cosmetic sticks thereby to provide a multiple stick refillable container.

3. A container for cosmetic stick material and the like comprising a circular hollow case of oval cross section diametrically split into a pair of hollow case halves for housing a pair of cosmetic sticks, a central rotor detachably mounted in the case and supported for rotation on only one of the case halves, the rotor having seats for holding a pair of cosmetic sticks for projection respectively in opposite radial directions from the rotor, the other of the case halves detachably engaging said one of the case halves for protectively housing the cosmetic sticks while permitting detachment of the case halves to expose the cosmetic sticks for use, a tab radially projecting from the rotor, and detents on said one of the case halves releasably engageable with the tab for positioning the rotor in one of two preselected positions angularly spaced apart References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,680,130 8/1928 Conner 20642 485,712 11/1892 Rogers 20652 2,106,726 2/ 1938 Draegor 20652 2,485,320 10/1949 Rosenthal 13279 FOREIGN PATENTS 413,864 7/ 1934 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

GREGORY E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 20652 

